A Story
by Blue03A
Summary: Another MuffinClan Challenge! Yay, I'll become a warrior now!


**Alrighty, another MuffinClan challenge. Also, if you want, check out MuffinClan!**

Stormpaw woke up in the apprentice den, yawning. His fangs glinted as he opened his mouth, feeling proud of being a strong apprentice of Windclan. Despite the urge to curl up and sleep once again, he stretched. Today, he was going training with his mentor, Runningscar, and he'd most likely get his ears clawed off if he didn't get there on time.

Rolling over onto his paws, his gray and black fur was messy from the night's sleep. Deciding that he had _some_ time, he quickly smoothed his fur down. After rapidly stroking his pelt with his tongue, Stormpaw got to his paws, placing one out of his warm nest. He looked around, then his gaze narrowed as he got to Flowerpaw.

He suddenly remembered his punishment. She was a weakling, and he felt he should announce it, but he finally got caught yesterday, resulting in a punishment. Forced to take care of the elders. Joy of great joy.

Jumping out of his warm bed, he fluffed out his fur against the cold leaf-fall breeze. Even though he wasn't feeling the happiest, life would go on. Still, when he passed Flowerpaw's nest, he scoffed.

"Stormpaw!" A voice shouted. It was his mentor, Runningscar.

"Coming!" He called back, winding his way through the other nests and finally making it out.

Though leaf-bare was coming, the moor looked the same. The grass couldn't shed it's leaves, or freeze over. This was one of the things that made him proud of his clan. Sunlight shone into the camp, briefly preventing Stormpaw from seeing Runningscar for several moments. Spotting him, he bounded over, eager for battle training.

"Let's go!" The older cat exclaimed when he got there, turning and beginning to jog out of camp, making sure Stormpaw was following him. After running and running, which Windclanners were good at, but still got a little tired, they reached where all Windclan apprentices trained. They padded into the center of it.

"Alright, battle practice today. Stormpaw, crouch down. Mark, get set, go!"

* * *

After a training session, Runningscar sent him back early. "You still need to go to the elders, Stormpaw," he had said. Now, muttering and growling under his breathe, he entered the elders den.

"Hello, Stormpaw," an old tom meowed, a she-cat of the same age next to him. Their names were Swiftwind and Quietrain. Swiftwind was a gray and white tom with amber eyes while Quietrain was a dark gray she-cat with yellow eyes. Both were friendly, though Swiftwind was more talkative.

"Hi," Stormpaw responded, trying to keep from gritting his teeth or snarling. He shouldn't be here. Flowerpaw should, since the only thing she could be good for was rotting in the elder's den and—

"We heard that you've got elder duty. Would you like a story?" Swiftwind asked, breaking Stormpaw from his thoughts. _What does he think I am? A kit? _was Stormpaw's first thought. _Well, then again, I'd do practically ANYTHING but to suffer from boredom in here..._

"Sure," he replied, deciding to have some entertainment.

"After you get our bedding and ticks done," Quietrain cut in, glancing at Stormpaw with her golden eyes.

"Fine..."

* * *

Finishing the last tick on Quietrain's pelt, he turned to them.

"Can I hear the story _now_?" He meowed, slightly annoyed.

"Sure—" Swiftwind started to say, but Quietraim cut him off.

"_May_ I hear the story now, please," she corrected him. Rolling his eyes, Stormpaw nodded.

"Okay. Once opon a time, seasons and season ago, there was a cat, named Snowpaw. He was smaller than the other apprentices, and weaker. The others always constantly teased him, about his small size, small voice, and small courage. They tormented him.

"He wasn't very happy even before that. His parents had died before and while he was being born, leaving no other family besides an old, frail, she-cat, that was rumored to be crazy. He hated his life.

"Then, one day, a cat that bullied him came up and said hurtful words to Snowpaw. That cat never thought that would be the last thing he ever said to him

"Snowpaw just couldn't take it anymore. He disappeared from camp one night, and was found at the bottom of the gorge. It was clear he couldn't take it anymore, so he took it into his own paws. He wasn't pushed, he jumped. That's why it's so important to be kind to others, always. Are you alright?" Swiftwind meowed to Stormpaw, who had been staring at the den wall, thinking.

What if... What if this happened to Flowerpaw? I... I couldn't live with that guilt! I have to go find her!

Muttering a quick, "I've gotta go," Stormpaw ran out of the den, looking for the other apprentice. He didn't see her, so he rushed to Grasspaw, his brother, barely stopping in time.

"Have you seen Flowerpaw?" He panted, looking at the other tom that looked so much like him.

"Uh, I think she went out on a solo-hunting patrol not that long ago. Why?" Grasspaw replied, but never got the answer to his last question, since Stormpaw was already gone.

Stormpaw ran through the moorland, seemingly going faster than he thought he could. He barreled towards the gorge, thinking along the way. _No, no, no, no, no, no, no... What if something happened? What if she's dead— because of _me_? _His thoughts banged around in his head, colliding with each other sometimes. Each one made him go faster, put more strength into his limbs.

He finally got to the gorge clearing, and was shocked, surprised, relieved, and horrified to see a cat's shape at the edge of it. _She didn't jump— yet_. Sprinting faster than ever before, Stormpaw practically flew across the short grass. Stretching out his paws and claws, he grasped Flowerpaw's tail, dragging her backwards.

She thrashed, but he continued, until they were a safe distance away from the edge. She looked up at him, flinching when she met his eyes, but turning back. Instead of the usual scorn or distaste in his eyes, they held different emotions, like... Care, and... Kindness, and... Was that concern?

Stormpaw was breathing heavily, standing over the she-cat. He awkwardly moved over, lying down beside her.

"Don't do that again... You... scared me," Stormpaw meowed, averting his eyes from hers.

"Why?" She whispered, touching his shoulder with a paw.

"Because... It was because of... A Story."


End file.
